How to use Siri on iPhone

What you will learn

In this guide, you will learn how to activate Siri, the voice assistant built into your iPhone, and how to use it for everyday tasks like making calls, setting reminders, checking the weather, and getting answers to questions.

What you need

• An iPhone (any model with iOS 15 or newer)
• An Internet connection for most features

The steps

Step 1: Turn on Siri

Open Settings and tap “Siri and Search”. Turn on “Listen for ‘Hey Siri’” to activate Siri with your voice. Also turn on “Press Side Button for Siri” so you can activate it by holding the button on the right side of your phone.

Step 2: Train Siri to recognize your voice

If you turn on “Hey Siri” for the first time, your iPhone will ask you to say a few phrases so Siri can learn your voice. Follow the on-screen instructions and say each phrase clearly. This takes about one minute.

Step 3: Activate Siri

You can activate Siri in two ways:

• Say “Hey Siri” or just “Siri” out loud (your phone does not need to be unlocked)
• Press and hold the side button (the button on the right side of your iPhone) for one second

A colorful circle or wave will appear at the bottom of the screen, showing Siri is listening.

Step 4: Ask Siri a question

Speak clearly and naturally. For example, try saying:

• “What is the weather today?”
• “Set a timer for 10 minutes”
• “Call Mom”
• “Remind me to buy milk at 5 PM”

Siri will respond with an answer on the screen and read it out loud.

Step 5: Try useful commands

Here are more things you can ask Siri to do:

• “Send a message to [name]”: Siri will ask you what to say, then send a text
• “Navigate to [place]”: Opens Maps with directions
• “Play some music”: Plays music from your library or Apple Music
• “What time is it in Tokyo?”: Answers world clock questions
• “Translate hello to French”: Translates words and phrases

Step 6: Close Siri

To stop Siri, simply tap anywhere on the screen outside the Siri interface, or press the side button briefly. Siri will disappear and you can continue using your phone normally.

Helpful tips

• Siri can read your messages: Say “Read my latest messages” and Siri will read them aloud. This is useful when your hands are busy.
• Change Siri’s voice: Go to Settings then Siri and Search then Siri Voice to choose a different voice or accent.
• Siri and apps: Siri works with many apps. Try “Send a WhatsApp message to [name]” or “Play [song name] on Spotify”.
• Corrections: If Siri misunderstands you, say “Change that” or simply tap the text on screen to edit it manually.